The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-10-28
Sold into Slavery.
THE REMARKABLE STORY OF cALrroR-
MIA WAITER.

II. Benedict, a waiter in q Main
street restaurant, says the Los Angeles
Times, only reached this city a short
time ago. He has Just escaped from
a life of slavery, that is according to
his story, a hundred times more sevare
in every respect than were the old
slavery days before the war.
"Almost six years ago, Mr.. Benedict
relates, "wben was waiter in a San
Francisco restaurant, l walked down
TO the water front and was watching
the ships discharge, when a stranger
approached and asked me to take
walk. After having little converse
tion with Inc he learned that l wished
TO leave the city, and he told me that
he was friendly with number OF peo-
pie In Honolulu, and that he was con-.
tident that could get work as soon as
! reached the islands. / met him the
next day and he informed me that he
had secured thirteen others who would
60 and he introduced me TO several Of
them. We all thought it good chance
to get out Of California for a while,
especially as our passages were to be
paid, and we sailed on a schooner un-
der Captain Myers. When we reach
the islands we did not go into port, but
stopped outside.
A steam launch was soon alongside
and man, who represented himself to
be doctor, came aboard. He and the
captain were closeted for quite while,
when the doctor came aft and gave
each one of us medical examination.
The captain and doctor then left tie
ship and few hours later we weighed
anchor and for two days we were sail
ing In and out among islands. Finally
we we're landed at large sugar plan
tation and given to understand that we
were to work in the field. We learn
ed the next day that the plantation
was owned by two men who were con-
sidered the hardest taskmasters on the
islands. We were told that we had
been employed through the captain,
and that we were to get $50 month.
We hesitated about going to work at
first, bat the foreman talked very nice
to us, and after we had worked month
we went to the foreman's Office to draw
our paw. Here we were horrifed to
learn that we had been sold to the
sugar planters as slaves for 90 much q
head that it would take us just three
years to buy our freedom, if we worked
every day. We were credited with
25 cents day when we worked, and
when we were too sick TO work they
charged us seventy five cents day for
board. They paid so much for us, and
we had to work our freedom out at the
rate of rs cents day, and under the
laws of the island we agreed to this
contract the first day we worked-as
going to work with our own free will
signifies that we were willing to work
for the planters for our passage to the
islands. Well, we made hard kick
against such treatment, but there was
no help for it, as the plantation was
guarded by company of native
soldiers who were only too willing to
shoot white slave who attempted to
escape.
"When we refused to work we were
placed in stocks and whipped until the
blood streamed off our backs. When
man wanted to lay off because Of
sickness a plantation doctor was called
in and, aud if the doctor said he was
not sick the fellow was either whipped
or killed. / have known them to take
q man out and shoot him because be
could not work. A man was taken
violently sick one day but the doctor
said he was all right, and the overseer
made him go to the field. He struggled
along until about noon, when he drop.
ped down dead. We were worked ten
hours day and no set of men were
ever worked harder in the world. After
had been there three years I thought
my time was up, but had surprise
in store for me in the shape of q bill
the company had against me for eating
sugar cane and playing sick. The
overseer had charged me with every
mouthful of sugar cane ever ate, and
it took me just two years more to work
it out at the rate Of two bits day.
never ate any more sugar cane, and as
goon luck would have it, was moi
sick. 1t took me just five years and a
few weeks to work out, and if l had
to tell you what / suffered during that
time you would wonder that am aliv,
to-day. People might live in Honolu
In life time and never know anything
about the slave system that is being
carried on in the Sandwich Islands